Pregnant mom allegedly threw infant into Pack 'n Play because she 'couldn't handle the crying'

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (TCN) -- A pregnant mother is in custody on suspicion of throwing her infant daughter, causing severe head injuries and bruises.

On the night of Nov. 19, the Evansville Police Department responded to a home on South Kentucky Avenue to a report of an unresponsive child. The baby was transported to a local hospital, where medical staff determined she had suffered critical head injuries, including bleeding and swelling that required emergency surgery. The victim also sustained bruising on the forehead, behind the ears, on the arms, stomach, and buttocks.

The child's mother, 20-year-old Alexandrea Ring, told police in an interview that at approximately 2 p.m., "her daughter had soiled her clothes due to a poorly fitting diaper." Ring reportedly said she changed her baby's clothes, and she started to cry. The mother claimed she "'couldn’t handle the crying' and that it 'set her off.'"

Ring allegedly held her daughter over a Pack 'n Play before throwing her into it. Ring later reportedly changed her statement and told police her pregnant belly "prevented her from placing the victim in the Pack 'n Play properly and that she accidentally dropped the child." According to officers, Ring said she picked up her daughter, placed her on the floor, and the baby fell face-first into the metal piece of a cabinet, causing bruising to the forehead.

Ring failed to call 911 after the incident even though her daughter appeared lethargic and fell in and out of consciousness. Ring reportedly told her boyfriend she was concerned about her daughter's condition but didn't call for help until he returned from work shortly after 5:20 p.m.

Authorities arrested Ring on charges of domestic battery against a family member under 14 and neglect of a dependent. Police have not provided an update on the child's condition.

MORE: